Christianity first began to take a strong foothold in the world in the first few centuries after the death and resurrection of Jesus and during the time of the Roman Empire. Several different factors aided the spread of Christianity including common languages, the Pax Romana, the Roman road system, and the work of the apostle Paul who can be considered possibly the greatest pioneer of the Christian faith. As the number of believers grew, so did the influence of Christianity on the daily lives of believers, government and politics, and art and architecture.
The early Christian's lives were transformed by their faith, and then Christianity was able to set foot within the confines of government because so many people chose to take part in the faith. During the time of Roman rule and oppression, the Christian faith offered some very appealing incentives: acceptance of people of all ages, professions, races, and class. This offered immediate hope to the people. Even beyond all of this, remained the promise of eternal life in heaven. With the number of believers growing and the power of Roman rule weakening, Emperor Constantine made a monumental decision in A.D. 302 to convert to Christianity, approve it as a religion, and end the persecution of Christians. Less than 100 years later, Theodosis made Christianity the official religion of the empire. With Rome the capital of the empire, it also became the center of the church and from then on the lines of politics and religion were blurred.
By 800, the Church's authority was both religious and political. All people were subject to canon law which is the law the church. As a result of the popularity of the Church, each Pope grew in power, creating conflict between himself and the kings at the time. Pope Gregory I became Pope in 590. With church power in the secular world, he began to act as mayor of Rome and even into many parts of the Empire. Such competition caused conflicts and frustration for many kings, but the Pope could threaten to excommunicate a king from the Church if he should choose to disobey his commands. Many problems arose because of the Church's growing dominance in politics. One of the greatest conflicts was lay investitures. A lay investiture was a ceremony in which a king or noble appointed church officials rather than the Church itself. To settle this conflict, a meeting was held called the Concordat of Worms. It was agreed that the Church could choose their own officials but the emperor had the power to veto their decision. This blurring of politics and religion has remained a controversial issue throughout the centuries.
As the church influenced government and politics, it also impacted the realms of architecture and visual arts. The massive cathedrals possessing the Gothic style started to be built in the 1100s. The famous pointed spires, enormous stained glass windows, and high ceilings are all signature styles of Gothic cathedrals. Along with the amazing structures of the Cathedrals are the ornate artwork and sculptures. Reliquaries were ornately decorated containers which held the remains of saints. Ivory and stone carvings could be seen on the doors of Cathedrals. Often they would depict stories of the Bible. Throughout Europe, the artistic legacy of the Church can be seen in architecture, paintings, and sculpture to this very day.
Jesus Christ came to bring hope and direction to the lives of men. Since his resurrection, the lives of countless believers have been changed. As the Christian Church developed, its impact was felt in every realm of society. Overall, it is evident that the Church has greatly influenced decisions of government, development of political policies, and art and architecture.
